TRAUGHT TAKEOVER2012
by noaverageangel
Summary: Ch1:Dick glares at Artemis. "I'm not running. I'm finally getting independence and a chance to be me. Without the shadow." "Don't talk to me about shadows." Artemis says her voice shaking.
1. Chapter 1

TRAUGHT WEEK PART 1: _Revelation_

"Artemis I can't do this anymore." Dick sighed, frustration evident in his tone, as he climbed into the window of her new apartment in Gotham. Artemis looked up from her Pre-Cal homework and frowned. He was really upset this time.

"I'll make the tea." She says calmly as she walks toward her small kitchenette. The apartment wasn't much but it was better than the one her and her mom lived in. She quickly thrust away the thought of her mother by throwing herself into making the tea. Chamomile for her and Earl Grey for Dick. As she grabbed their mugs, Dick sank into the couch, exhausted. "How long have you been patrolling? Bird Brain?" She asked teasingly as the whistle blew on the kettle.

Dick ran his fingers through his deep clack hair. "A while."

Artemis scoffed. "So nonstop then?" She shook her head, grabbed the mugs, and came to sit on the couch with him.

He took his tea and she sat across from him, waiting.

"He doesn't trust me anymore. " Dick says staring into his tea.

Artemis nods understandingly, and is about to throw in her two cents when Dick says something Artemis never thought she would hear him say.

"And I don't think I trust him anymore."

Artemis sets her tea on the small coffee table.

"Rob, what are you saying?" She asks softly, trying not to upset him.

He sighs. "I'm saying I'm done. I don't want to be Robin anymore."

Artemis stares at him. "Rob, I know you're upset but-"

"Mis." He cuts her off. "I just can't work with him anymore. We're not a team. He refuses to let me get close to the action and soon he won't let me patrol at all."

Artemis nods. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Dick slams his mug down. "Don't you think I tried?! Everytime it's the same excuse. 'I just don't want you to get hurt like that again.'"

"Rob, Bats cares about you a lot; he doesn't want to lose you." Artemis says soothingly. "_I_ don't want to lose you."

Dick stands and paces to the window and stares out into Gotham. "All of the risks, the bruises, the scars, they're part of the job. And if he thinks that he can prevent me from getting those he's sadly mistaken." Dick says darkly.

"Robin, Batman loves you and cares about you more than anything in the world. He's acting like a father. Something you're lucky to have." Artemis counters.

Dick whirls around, eyes wide. "I can't believe you're taking his side in this! Don't you think he's being ridiculous?"

Artemis rises to her feet. " I'm not taking sides! I'm simply stating the fact that he loves you, and it's not something you should forget!"

"How can I forget that? He's overbearing and over protective and he treats me like a child!" Dick shouts angryily.

"Maybe it's because you're acting like one!" Artemis retorts, raising her voice to match his. "Why would you throw away that kind of relationship over something as little as this?"

"You think it's little? It's been building for months Artemis, you know that as well as I do. This is just the final straw." Dick says, a storm in his eyes.

" Robin. What do you think you're gonna do if you leave? You're not even 18 yet! Can you even wrap your head around a life without Batman? A life without Agent A and all that goes with it?" Artemis shouts, trying to make him understand what he's throwing away.

"I am not Batman. I never was. I am my own person Artemis and I'll be fine without him! Better off even! And I'll figure it out. On. My. Own." Dick growls furiously, lowering his voice.

"Fine. Say you convince him you can handle yourself. Say you get your shit together and go. Where are you gonna go Rob?" Artemis asks, still somewhat yelling.

"Who said I was asking permission? And I found –you know what? Why should I tell you?" Dick asks bitterly. Artemis reels back as if she was slapped. "You'll probably just tell him anyway."

"Rob I would never-" Artemis starts, shocked.

"No Artemis you would. Maybe not for a while, but even you couldn't last under Bats interrogation. " Dick says matter of factly. This just infuriates Artemis.

"So you think I can't hold my own against Bats? Because you're so tough, running away from the man who cares about you most in the world?" Artemis scoff. "Yeah right Robin."

Dick glares at Artemis. "I'm not running. I'm finally getting independence and a chance to be me. Without the shadow."

"Don't talk to me about shadows." Artemis says her voice shaking.

"Why not? It isn't like you know what it's like to live under a shadow, To never get the recognition you deserve, to always be kept out of the limelight. " Dick snarls.

"Have you met my sister? She was fucking perfect. _Daddy's_ favorite. Do you know what that meant for me Rob?" Artemis counters with quiet, controlled anger.

"That's not what I meant Artemis." Dick say softly. _How had things gotten so out of hand? _

Artemis laughs darkly. "Whatever helps you sleep at night Rob."

"Artemis, I'm serious. I'm leaving." Dick says, trying desperately to turn the situation around. He can't leave her like this.

Something changes in Artemis's eyes. Their usually calm grey becomes stormy, and she gives him a hard look. "Fine. Go. Walk out on Bats. On the Team. Walk out on everyone else in this world who cares about you Robin. I won't stop you."

Dick looks at her shock and opens his mouth with a fiery retort in mind but she holds out a hand to stop him.

"I'm done fighting you. Leave." She says coldly, all emotion gone from her voice.

"Artemis I-"

" I said leave."

He sighs and turns to go. He stops out on the fire escape and looks back at the blonde haired 18 year old who had been his partner in crime for what felt like a lifetime. Who didn't know his name but knew the little things. Who currently was giving him a look of such disappointment and despair, He could hardly bare it.

Artemis crossed her arms. "Jade always said looking back makes it harder." She says curtly.

Dick grimaces. " Bye 'Mis."

When Artemis is sure he's gone she throws his tea mug out the window in a rage, then slams the window shut with a cry. She sinks slowly against the wall and buries her head in her hands, her body shaking with soft sobs. Of all the people that came into her life, she never thought he'd leave her.

**a/n: So I didn't expect all that angst and originally planned on a happier ending. But I think I'm relatively pleased. The revelation is for you to decide on but there is one, maybe even a couple. So. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! ;) HAPPY TRAUGHT WEEK EVERYBODY! **


	2. Balance and Burn

**Traught Week Thursday **

**Prompt: Balance and Burn**

**Inspiration: superllaine on tumblr's inceptionesque gif set and the following Headcannon by artemisinzombieland**

**As a child, Artemis' father would often take her to visit Jonathan Crane, where he would test some of his toxins on her. Not enough to make her stark-raving mad though. Her father had the idea that, like someone who injected themselves with snake poison little by little every day would become mostly immune to the poison, she would eventually become 'immune' to fear. He wanted enough to make her fearless, but he didn't want her to be insane. A crazy daughter would have been useless to him. Unfortunately, after seeing no lasting affect, the visiting stopped, but Artemis will never forget the horror she saw during those times.**

Artemis collapsed on her bed. She was exhausted. It had been a long day of school, training and a surprise mission. A surprise mission that could have gone a lot better to say the least.

"Damn Roy. Damn Wally. Damn them all_!" _She growled as she stashed the bow under her off- balance floorboards.

"Yes. Damn them all indeed." An amused voice stated behind her.

Artemis whipped her hair around and blanched. "Not tonight, Please." She pleaded uselessly.

Her father tsked. "You know it's time. It's been what, a month since my last visit?" Sportmaster grinned wickedly. Artemis shivered. Somehow he was worse without the mask.

"But you said if I did a good job I didn't have to go back!" Artemis begged, becoming a scared child and she hated herself for it.

Sportmaster just moved quicker, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her towards him. "See. You do need it. We're leaving. Get your bow." He released her and jumped out the window and down the fire escape.

Artemis attempted to hide the terror she felt. She squared her shoulders and reached back to the unbalanced boards. She stared at them for a moment as she checked the strings. (Stalling her Father as long as possible.) One was a hair taller than the other one. It made her think of when Robin tried to teach her how to balance on the rooftops for the first time.

-Flashback-

"C'mon Artemis!" Robin cackled from the higher rooftop.

She frowned, set her shoulders back and ran. She executed a perfect somersault, but landed a little too far right. She began to fall, but Robin's hand yanked her back to safety.

"Thanks." She gasped, out of breath.

"Course 'Mis. I got your back." He said easily.

Artemis started up into the mask in wonder.

"You don't mean that." She stated dryly then walked ahead of him quickly.

"But I do." He said flipping over her and grinning.

-Flashback end-

"ARTEMIS. NOW."

Artemis shook herself out of the flashback and hurried after her father, "Coming!" She hollered down the fire escape.

Artemis tried to block out the trip there. It was pointless to remember anyway. All it did was made her feel guilty and hopeless. She liked to keep it all a blur of reflexes, that way she couldn't dwell the details.

Her father suddenly held out a hand to stop her while her hands began to shake. They were here. The home of Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow. She was brought her at least once a month, sometimes more depending on how well she performed in her father's exercises. As they entered the lair, Artemis frantically tried to think happy thoughts. She tried to think about M'gann's baking, Superboy's irrational fear of monkeys, _Robin_. But nothing could distract her from the fact the next couple hours would be torture. Literally.

"_ROBIN!" Artemis screams running frantically toward the burning building where Sportsmaster had taken Robin._

_She runs into the smoke, choking on its dark fumes. "ROBIN!" She calls again, her voice restrained. She had to find him and get out before they ran out of oxygen. _

"_Artemis" She hears a weak voice call to her left. She jumps over the burning rafters falling down on her to get to him. She manages to get close enough to see him, but he's entrapped by wood. _

"_HOLD ON ROB!" She hollers as she desperately tries to figure out to reach him. She sees a side wall and runs, pushing off it to land next to him. She kneels over coughing from the effort. She manages to make the coughs subside long enough to grab him by the arms and pull him towards her. She tries to ask him where his grappling rope is but her voice won't come out. He understands though, as always, and he gives it to her, wincing as he moves his arm. They grappling out of the building and Artemis takes a deep breath of fresh air as she lets go of Robin. She turns to him grinning, when she sees the blood coming off him in waves. Artemis runs, but her legs won't work. She hears her Father's low chuckle behind her. "Good Work babygirl." She sees the knife in her hands and tries to throw it at Sportsmaster, but she is paralyzed. All she can do is stand there and try to scream as the Boy Wonder dies in front of her. _

She screams, and Sportsmaster slaps her across the face. "Please. No more." She gasps,her head reeling from the vision. Scarecrow tilts his head at Sportsmaster.

He just chuckles. "Up the dosage. She should be more than immune to it by now." He growls. Scarecrow nods and returns with more of the toxin. Artemis thrashes and hollers, earning her more abuse from her father. She tilts towards unconsciousness as Scarecrow goes to inject the toxin. Suddenly a crash is heard and Scarecrow and Sportsmaster turn quickly towards the door. It's knocked down by The Dark Knight himself, and Artemis sees Robin right behind. Batman takes care of Sportsmaster and Scarecrow with help from Robin. The villains escape, but not unharmed. Robin rushes over to Artemis as soon as he can at a speed Wally would have been proud of. "Artemis! ARTEMIS!" He cries, undoing her bonds. She falls into his arms. She gazes up at him, with an uncertainty in her eyes. _Was this the toxin? _ Robin picks her up and rushes out the door, Batman behind him." C'mon stay with me! GET TRAUGHT!" He yells, desperate to keep her awake. The last thing she sees is Robin's frantic face.

It's also the first thing she sees when she wakes in the med bay three days later.

He's asleep in the chair inches away from her bed. His hair is ruffled, his uniform is unkempt and a little raggedy. There are dark circles under his eyes. His hand is next to hers though. And she bears the pain in her arm to move her hand into his. He's instantly awake. "Artemis!" He says joyfully. She continues to look at him carefully. Searching for any misconceptions, anything the slightest bit off. She's not sure if she's still under the toxin. Robin seems to understand, as his expression softens. "'Mis. I'm here okay? Really here." He says comfortingly. She doesn't look away, but her eyes soften a bit.

"You were there in the other ones too." She whispers. The eyes behind the mask widen. _Had that been what she saw?_

He shudders. "But this isn't a trick 'Mis. You got traught. You've been in the med-bay for three days. Sleeping….and ," He coughs awkwardly. And She begs him to tell her with her soft grey eyes , so she knows if it's real. "screaming. It was the last of the toxin." She breathes a sigh of relief. Maybe she could actually be in real life. Maybe the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder had really saved her.

Suddenly, Robin glares at her. "Artemis. Why didn't you tell anyone? What were you even doing there!?" he says angrily. "I-We were so worried! That much toxin should have killed you." He states sadly.

She looks away. Maybe she can tell him. After all, if it'd be a good way to tell if this was real. "I'm immune to low to medium levels of the toxin." She whispers. Robin stares at her, eyes wide in surprise and fear. "'I've been visiting _him_ for almost 3 years. Every 3 months they up the dosage. This time, something went wrong. I wasn't immune to the next level as I should have been. So they increased it double." They both become quiet. Robin absorbs the information. She begins to try to figure out a way to get out of this damn hospital bed.

"I'm sorry." Robin blurts out. She turns back toward him, staring into the domino mask.

"Why?" She asks in astonishment.

"I said I had your back. And I didn't." Her eyes widen. He remembered. It was real. There was no toxin. She feels a tear roll down her face, and Robin wipes it away. "Hey now." He whispers soothingly. "Don't cry 'Mis."

She looks at his beautiful, real face. She somehow manages to move her hand over his wrist and pull him off-balance, forcing him to fall onto her. She kisses him full force- just like she's always wanted. He kisses her back greedily, hopelessly drawn in. And as they break apart, Artemis smiles a genuine smile, and Robin grins back mischievously. Maybe Alice had finally broken free of her Wonderland.

**a/n: yeah hi! This ha been a super crazy week so expect a wordplay one sometime Sunday or Saturday. I had a frozen prompt that's fluffy I think I'll post too at a later time. AS for what this is…..IDK. I was having a lot of trouble with the balance one, and I saw a couple things then starting writing and this was born! It's out there for sure but tell me what you think! REVIEWWWW! **


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